


S.O.S

by Hollow_Vessel



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: :), Blood, Blood in chapter 5 and beyond, Descriptions of Injury, Flashbacks, Gen, Hallucinations, I had ideas, I made OCs for this, Irkens, Not Canon Compliant, Pain, Short Chapters, The Tallest hate Zim, This is my “screw my 1k word requirement” fic, delirious, drugged, headache, i have a plan though, shocking, zim has a son
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2020-10-10 10:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20526785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollow_Vessel/pseuds/Hollow_Vessel
Summary: When a distress signal is received and accepted by the armada, no one expected the unread request’s origin to be URTH.The Tallest are mortified.But that doesn't seem to be the only thing going on with Zim...





	1. READ

Data flowed down the screen in rows, small pop ups displaying important pieces of information. The panels were black with purple lettering, pink boxes bordering it. It was all written in Irken as well.  
...ROUGH TRANSLATION...  
Daily Distress Signals: (13)  
(13 UNRESOLVED)

Click.

(4 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE REQUESTED)  
(7 UNURGENT)

Click. Four requests stood out, four names of far off Invaders. Four sets of coordinates. Eight buttons, four to accept and four to deny the requests.

“MY TALLESTS!” The Navigator in training shouted.

“Eh? What is it?” Purple asked, leaning away from their movie and donuts for a moment and staring at the much shorter Irken, who shrank away from the gaze of their Tallest, instead staring hard into the dataset in front of them. The Tallest were so.. Intimidating.

“There are four distress signals requiring a medical technician to be sent.” He said, respectfully lowering his head once he finished speaking, antenna pressed snuggly to the top of his head.

Kip glanced at the screen, preparing to read off the coordinates to the planets and await approval. Moo-Ping 11, Cortania, Murketh, and Urth.

“Oh??...” Purple swallowed the biteful of sugar in his mouth before picking up another donut in his claws and nodding. “Then send them backup.”

“The coordinates, my Tallest?” 

“No, no. They need help.” He gave the nervous Irken a smile before going back to watching a movie and shoving snacks into his face. “Push yersh.” He mumbled over the sweets he was eating. 

“Understood.” Kip quickly accepted all requests for medical assistance. 

A notification popped up over the movie the Tallest were watching on the big screen, just as Tallest Red was entering the room with two Slurpy Slushies in claw, one red and one blue.

His red eyes darted to the notification as he sat beside Purple, quickly reading over it.

There the coordinates, planets’ and invaders’ names were showing. Highlighted in red was...  
“ZIM?!” Red shouted, pointing at the screen, eyes widened and antenna struck upwards in horror.


	2. QUICKLY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter my two OCs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these are short guys, but I’m basically uploading it scene by scene. It also means fast updates so uh yeah! :D

Zip sat at his desk, lab coat strewn aside as he munched on snacks. This was his rare one hour break, after his usual 36 hour shift. Caring for wounded Irken soldiers was tiring after a while, it was nice to simply sit down and have a service drone bring Zip a Licky Stick and a green Slurpy Slushy.

It was just the beginning of the medic’s break, they had barely taken three bites of their sweets when their screen lit up.

Zip glanced to it, rubbing at his tired eyes with a free hand.

! URGENT !

He skimmed through the rest of the notification.  
[Presense required on planet. REPORT TO LOADING BAY SECTOR 1, effective IMMEDIATELY.]

His hand shook slightly as he read the message for a second and a third time. He sighed, putting up his candy in his PAK, but then sipping his slushy as he grabbed his coat.

With one last forelorn look to his comfy office chair, Zip darted towards the loading bay, sipping his cold drink quickly. Risk of brain freeze was forgotten as he continued sipping the re energizing drink.

As Zip slid into the room, where some ships were departing or receiving maintenance, he spotted the ship he was to be in. It was marked with the medical sign of Irk, along with looking slightly different from the regular fleet ships. One, it was smaller, two, the shape was slightly more square. Outside of it was a short Irken guard. Zip blinked to this, carefully putting his lab coat back on as he approached.

“Medic Zip here.” He said apathetically to the guard, who nodded and lowered a spear-like weapon, allowing him passage into the ship. 

The interior was a blue white with purple accents. It looked sterile, some medical devices and supplies stowed underneath of consoles and seats.

At least the chairs looked comfortable.  
Zip placed down his half empty slushy and looked back to the guard.  
“Hey, you...” Zip began, unsure what the guard’s name was.

“Pip!” He announced proudly, before meekly averting his gaze, remaining professional. “What is it?”

“What planet am I going to now?” He asked. Perhaps IRK again. He had been there a few times.

“Urth, sir!” Pip told him.

Zip’s antenna dropped slightly. He had never heard of that place- It sounded slightly familiar, an odd itchy feeling. But it still meant that it would be a long trip. Unless they used a hyper jump, but the tired Irken still dreaded it.

For the empire, he rationalized as he went and took a seat and waited for the pilot.

Around five minutes later, an average heighted Irken arrived, he was slightly shorter than Zip.

“Well, lets be off.” Zip told him as he got into the ship and took the pilot’s seat.  
“Yes, sir.” They say with urgency, beginning to hit some marked buttons and pulling levers. 

Zip could never fly one of these. This was confusing to him. He knew medicine and injury, not... those.

Pip got into the ship too, closing the door and securing it, before going to sit across from Zip.

Added security? The dread was turning to apprehension now. 

Zip leaned back as the ship took off, watching the front view with tired eyes. 

To Urth, then. He pulled his tablet from his PAK and idely surfed the Irken web, leaving the pilot and guard to their tasks.


	3. HOW?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://zimmed-out.tumblr.com/post/187515923085/zip  
And https://zimmed-out.tumblr.com/post/187515946880/pip  
ZIP AND PIP!!!

Red stared at the screen, mouth agape. He swiveled and looked to the Navigators. “Who sent help to ZIM?” He asked, agitation clear on his tone. 

All heads in the room turned towards one NAV. Kip. 

He lowered his gaze and nervously raised a hand.

“Now, Kip... Why would you do that? We HATE Zim.” Red said, voice straining to keep an even tone, antenna pointed towards Kip, eyes holding a glare.

Kip felt panic build up in his chest. “My Tallest,” He began, voice slightly choked up. Nervous sweat was beading on the side of his head. “I was given approval to give all the requests an OK.” Kip explained, gesturing with his hands nervously, then staring downwards.

“..Purple?” Red asked, glancing over to his counterpart leader.

“Oh, yeah. I told him he could.” He said, crunching on some donut snacks. 

Kip sighed in relief once the attention was off of him.

“Alright.” Red rubbed his face with his claws, sighing slightly. “Can we reverse the order?” He glanced towards the navigators, who were scrambling on their computers, tapping buttons feverantly. 

“No, my Tallest.” One said in alarm. Murmurs of agreement and disappointment rang out. 

Red sighed heavily, pulling up his own screen from the ground and tapping a few icons. 

“Who got sent... who got sent...” He murmured softly, looking through the logs.

Purple watched over his shoulder, then offered Red a donut. He took it quickly and nommed on it while he worked.

“There!” He pointed to a file. One of their mid-high ranked medics, Zip. 

Tap.

[DEPARTED].

He stared at the red Irken lettering before growling and shaking his head. A few more taps and Red opened a chat with this unlucky medic.

25:13 [ALMIGHTY TALLEST RED]: This is your Tallest, RED. Respond to this message ASAP.


	4. REFRAIN

Zip was simply looking through some videos. The videos Irkens posted weren’t the most entertaining things, with the most exciting content being Explosion Compilations. Zip was watching one, unimpressed by the lackluster explosions. Whoever this Flur guy was, he was terrible at this. Zip clicked away from the video, when a messed notification lit up his screen.

He nearly spat out his slushy upon seeing the name.  
“M-..My Tallest?” He asked aloud, voice muffled by the collar up around half of his face. Pip and the pilot gave him a confused glance. Pip looked more concerned than confused.

Zip urgently tapped on the notification and typed back a reply with shaking claws.

25:14 [Second Class Medic ZIP]: Yes, my Tallest? How may I help you?

The Irken medic stared at his tablet with wide eyes, hands gripping the edges of the device tightly. What was the meaning of this? Why would one of his Tallest be messaging him? 

Zip hummed in confusion, antenna flattening themself against the top of his head in distress. 

[INCOMING VIDEO CALL - ALMIGHTY TALLEST]

Zip scrambled and quickly pressed the orange accept button.

He held the tablet a bit away from himself so they could get a better look at him, then dipped his head. “Hello, my Tallest?” Zip asked with a surprisingly flat tone, considering the fact that the TALLEST called HIM.

“You’re Zip right? And you’re on your way to Urth, correct?” Red asked. Zip opened an eye, then straightened his posture and nodded.   
“That is correct, sir.” Zip said. He watched Red, who seemed to be thinking about something. 

“The distress call you’re answering- About it...” Red began to explain.

Zip listened in confusion. Was there something wrong with the distress signal? Perhaps the planet was too dangerous for him to be there with only one escort, or it was a false signal created by interference?  
That didn’t happen too often, but in the dozens of Irken years he had worked, he had seen it happen to a few of the workers on his floor.   
“What about it, if I may ask, my Tallest?” Zip asked, trying to remain formal, as to not give himself a bad reputation in front of the Tallest and the navigators.

“Urth is where Zim is!” Purple chimed in suddenly. Zip blinked in confusion before-...   
Zim? THE Zim? Exploder of half of Irk, the revered one who blew out half of a powergrid for a snack? Zim, smeet thief and banished ZIM?...  
“Uh-..” Zip said, before letting the Tallest explain.

“We usually ignore signals from Urth. We didn’t mean to accept this one.” Purple continued to explain, while offering Red snacks in an attempt to soothe him. “So, uh.” Purple cut himself off by taking a drawn out sip of his slushy.

Red rubbed his face with an exasperated sigh. “When you get there- Can you like, not help him?”   
“IF he’s even in trouble!” Purple mumbled, shaking a claw in anger. It wouldn’t be unlike Zim to give a false alarm call just for some empire attention. And, by golly, it was working. 

Zip was getting increasingly confused. Zim this and Zim that, but the Tallest, they ignored a distress signal before?  
Something about this irked him. “Sirs, it is my job to help ALL irkens, is it not?” Zip asked instinctively. His antenna flattened more. Maybe that was a bad question, but this made him feel... Weird...

“Not this time. Zim was banished- He shouldn’t even be able to call for help.” Red said, sighing and shaking his head slowly.   
“Do not assist Zim.” Red stated, then looked at the camera. “Understand?” He asked, voice sounding darker than before.

Zip gulped, then nodded. “Yes, sirs.” He said, gaze retreating to the floor. He waited for a good minute before looking back to the screen. The call had been hung up by them, much to his relief. The tall Irken let out a slow breath, putting away his tablet and leaning back into his seat. 

This wasn’t right and he knew it. Banished or not, Zim was an Irken. He had sworn an oath to the Control Brains- He was to help every Irken, no matter the peril he put his own life into. He was only to not help enemies of IRK. Allies, or people we ignored? If Zip could help, he would...  
Did that, however, make Zim an enemy of IRK?... It would make sense. It still felt wrong to just... Show up, and then not help if they are in need of it. He glanced to the window, looking to the passing stars.

His gaze flicked to the guard sitting across from him. Pip, he thinks he remembers. He’s sitting still, form hunched and leaning forwards slightly. His antenna were pointed slightly inwards, Zip noted. His gaze was directed pointedly at the floor.  
Zip knew he had heard the call. Perhaps the guard felt that he was wasting his time now?... Ah, whatever. 

Zip finished off the last of his slushy and then relaxed, waiting for their arrival. Thanks to this very fast, almost fleet-ship, it would only be a few more hours.  
Zip only hoped he was not too late to help the invader who had called for help.


	5. AGAIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blood/Pizza sauce warning.

The Tallest watched the blank screen for a few more moments, then sighed. Red specifically, had a bad feeling about their medic who was en route to Urth right now. Red only vaguely recognized the Irken. A tall fellow who gained respect from both that and their reputation as a reliable and quick healer.

Purple wasn’t sure who the guy was, other than his name sounding familar. 

After the two relaxing and eating snacks, Red interjected. “Hey, we could call Zim ourselves. If he’s playing a joke, he’ll probably answer and like..” He thought for a moment, “Tell us about how he’s going to take over his planet with sock puppets.” Red said, a grin growing on his face as Purple began laughing at the stupid joke as well.

“Sock puppets. I’d like to see that...” He glanced back at the navigators. “Hey, you. Tell an invader to take over a planet with sock puppets.” Purple said, before tossing a donut into the ring around their platform.

Crashing sounds were heard as multiple navigators dove for the sweet pastries. The winner of the dive bombing graciously took their donut, eating it beneath the coat collar that covered their mouth. The rest shuffled off quickly to complete the assigned task, finding a random invader and giving them the impossible task.  
Kudos to Invader Lerch if he could do it.

“But, yeah.” Red said over food in his mouth. “Let’s call Zim.” Red said, glancing back at their comms NAV. “Call... Urth.” Red cringed at the name and shook his head, sticking his segmented tongue out for a moment.

“Yes, My TALLEST.” They said, tapping a few buttons periodically, before the screen displayed a calling symbol with Zim’s name being displayed on the left side of the screen, written up and down.  
Z  
I  
M.

After three rings, the call was answered. It showed an empty living room, a couch, and a painting of a green... Thing, hanging on the wall. 

“Huh?” Purple asked, looking to Red in confusion at the lack of Zim. Lack of anything.

“Who answered the call?” Red asked incredulously. 

Before either of them could speak up, the screen flashed gray, blue, and red before a robot came into frame. It was an ID1 SIR unit, with blue lighting and... Covered from antenna to foot in a pinkish red substance.

“HAI!” Gir shouted, waving frantically at the two tall Irkens. 

Purple stared, mouth falling open at the grisly site. Red coughed and stared at GIR, eyes widening.  
“Uh...” Purple murmured. 

“Where’s Zim?” Red asked GIR, cutting to the point and lowering his snacks, trying to not look at the blood-like stuff on the unit. 

GIR stared into the screen before tapping on the camera and beginning to laugh maniacally, punching himself in the head, side to side. It was mesmerizing, watching the red liquid fly from their metal. 

“Zim Zam went.. KABLAM!” He said after a moment, taking a piece of pizza from his head and beginning to grossly eat it.

“What food is that- It looks terrible!” Purple pointed a claw, shaking with anger at the screen.  
“Zim told me that those triangles are called... Pezza.” Red explained in a whisper to Purple, who gave an “Oh” and nodded. 

Red looked back at GIR. “Did he really?” Red asked.  
“Yes.” Gir’s eyes went red and he saluted, before going back to eating the pizza. 

“..Gir...” A voice said out of frame. It sounded quiet, weak, small.

Unit in question glanced over and their mouth fell open. “HEY THERE LITTLE BOY!” He shouted, before looking at the TV and somehow ending the call, the screen getting stuck on the frame of GIR having angry red eyes.

“...Well, that was...” Red began.  
“Was that Zim at the end?” Purple asked suddenly, eyes focused on where the image had once been.

“I hope not, he sounded really hurt!” Red added, staring at Purple. 

About three seconds later they both burst into hysterical laughter and snacking.  
“He sounded soooo hurt.” Purple said, snorting slightly and then going for a swig of their slushy.


	6. HERE

Zip sighed as the planet proximity sensor went off. He stopped slouching and mentally prepared himself for... whatever he would face. And the decision he would still have to make. To help, or not to help? If Zim was injured at all. The Tallest didn’t seem to think he was.. For some reason... If Zim was as incompetent as they say, especially to get BANISHED, then surely it would have been an easy situation for him to fall into? Getting injured and being unable to help himself to the point of sending an SOS to the Massive?  
Even if they disliked the Irken that strongly, was this really the amount they went out of their way to avoid helping him? It baffled the medic. 

While a direct order from the Irken Leaders was... Tempting to follow, the control brains were above them, right? Zip wasn’t sure. He was supposed to help all Irkens no matter what.

The pilot glanced back at Zip, before pulling up a screen presenting information on URTH, which included the location of the invader’s base. Zim. Coordinates were listed there, along with some data about the planet’s inhabitants. Humans.

Zip glanced over the paragraphs, skimming it. It was written sporadically. It made sense for a banished Irken, he thinks to himself. 

Tall  
Dim  
Horrible  
Deserve to be destroyed  
Those were some of the details that stood out to Zip. There were a few pictures of those tall, horrible looking creatures with directions about disguises.

He sighed heavily, grumbling about having to formulate a disguise. Thankfully, his PAK would do it automatically for him once fed the information. 

Zip made his disguise and waited for the other two to do the same. The pilot did not, which made sense, considering that they had to hide the SHIP close to the location and then wait for them to return to bring them back. Pip made himself a disguise and the two watched the windows as they entered the atmosphere.  
The view was blocked with clouds. Pip gasped upon their breaking through them, eyes practically lighting up at all the odd sights. Tall building-like structures, some rudimentary plantlife, creatures darting to and from. Transportation vehicles unloading and loading humans... All very... Odd. It felt weird to see anything complex from a planet like this. 

Though the advancement was a surprise, it was still very very far from IRK, an ancient race compared to this rock.

It took a bit of searching from high above to spot the building that... Oddly stuck out. Zip winced at this. This guy... Didn’t know subtlety, he guessed. 

The pilot went and parked, somehow remaining unseen by anyone. The ship must have been cloaked. Zip stood from his seat once the ship landed and was safely hovering a foot off of the ground, then waited for PIP to open the door and allow him outside.

Stepping outside, he found himself surrounded by the foriegn plants. His antennae twitched slightly to the new sounds as he took a gaze around wearily. Then he pressed the top of his PAK carefully and disguised himself.

Zip now appeared to be a slightly lanky human, wearing a scarf and pullover sweater, plain sports shorts and some black boots. He had black hair on top of his head. Zip looked at himself, still awed by their Irken technology. 

Pip was some sort of human smeet, wearing a long sleeved shirt and wearing... Oven mitts? He had orange messy hair. Zip stared at him for a moment before laughing and sighing. 

Off to find out if Zim was lying or not.  
He glanced through the trees into the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is a Zim chapter...


	7. QUIET

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for Pain, Blood, and Zim.

Darkness was all that the Irken knew. It was the first thing, and last thing. It engulfed his surroundings, making him squint and blink for a sight, but nothing came of it. Only nothingness. His breathing picked up slightly, then hitched and slowed. That... Was a feeling, something unlike the choking darkness. But, while it was a feeling, it was a feeling of pain. The Irken’s good antenna twitched. There was more than darkness, he thinks. 

Under his hands, a slippery floor. It was cool to the touch, warmer near himself. He existed... Perking his hearing, he could hear the creaking of shifting machinery. Light beeps and boops. But where-... Eh?.. Oh, it made sense. 

ZZT. Zim gave a curse and closed his eyes tightly as a tingle raced up his PAK, seeming to jog his memory. He opened his eyes widely and desperately tried to find something, anything. Something aside from the sickening scent of Irken blood, something other than the cool stillness in the air, the faint buzzing of machinery that yielded no light.   
Zim shuddered and let out a quick breath, realizing what was going on and where he was.   
“COM-puter..” He groaned, his voice breaking halfway through as a wave of weakness passed through the face-down Irken.

“Whaaat is it now, Zimmm?” The disembodied voice asked, echoing slightly in the large underground portion of his lair. 

“...” Well, that attitude was familiar. Pieces were sliding back into place. The wrong ones, there was still this gap in the middle. Between... Earlier and now. However earlier earlier was, it was WRONG.  
So what if his base disobeyed him?...

“Could you-”  
“I already sent a distress call to the Tallests. But as I’ve reminded you, multiple times, they will not send you help, ZIM.” The computer continued, stealing the words out of Zim’s confused mouth.   
“How about-”

“No.” Computer replied, not even letting the Irken ask.   
“Hey... Where’s GIR?” Zim asked meekly, voice quiet for once. His mind was reeling with questions and pain, overloaded despite his lack of sight. He couldn’t grasp his surroundings and a piece of things was still... Missing. It hurt to think, which surprisingly wasn’t a usual sensation for the Irken. Simple thoughts and phrases did not want to weld together into a thought, like attempting to make a hydrophobic substance fuse with that very thing... 

“COMPUTER... SHUTTING DOWN...” The electronic voice boomed, echoing further than before this time. Zim sighed, magenta eyes threatening to slide closed again.

...Why was his power off in the first place? Clear it wasn’t all off, considering the conversation he had just had... Had he had that conversation? His thoughts began to race again, doubt and insecurities pressing in at the pressure building behind his eyes. Zim growled softly in pain, pounding in his head, back, and abdomen...

Oh, that’s where it was coming from... His squeedily spooch... So very sore, radiating agony outwards, white hot in feeling. Each gentle pang made the invader want to puke up his guts, which he already had few of.   
Zim grunted softly as he attempted to move. Shooting pains shot him back down. Where was... Maybe he could get GIR to assist him...?

“G-gir!!” He called, voice breaking halfway through. The Irken coughed, he could feel hot blood in his mouth. Zim gurgled and spit it out, shaking his head at the feeling. His gut heaved and he turned to be on his side, rather than face down. This sent a sickening wave of fire through him, his PAK resisting the efforts by giving the small Irken another great shock.   
Zim screwed his eyes closed and grit his teeth, then shouted, “GIR!!!” The only thing that met his shouting was the echo it produced, grating on his injured antenna. The Irken kept his eyes closed as his head panged. What happened...? His head was spinning and his PAK produced no answers. Zim spitefully willed away the fog in his mind, before going to a blank and staring.   
The darkness seemed to stare back, shapes dancing in his sight. Purples and reds, and blues and greens...

“INTRUDERS DETECTED AT DOOR.”   
The computer’s voice boomed, making the alien flinch. Zim glared upwards for a moment, the tears welling in his eyes finally falling. A wonderful time for the Dib human to show up and ruin everything, for the... umpteenth time, then rub it in his face. An angry growl escaped Zim’s throat at the thought as he grew weak again.


	8. SEEK

The walk to the invader’s base was uneventful. They passed by drew humans, and the ones that they’d did seemed to be fooled by their disguises, or didn’t notice Pip and Zip, thankfully.  
Though ZIM’s report had listed them as dull creatures, being found out would still have put them in great danger, no matter how small the chances were.

Zim’s base was... Unlike anything Pip had seen before. He sort of stared up at it. The shape seemed... Off. The sides weren’t straight and the colors were eerie. Pip went up to the door and knocked on it. Nothing happened for a while. Now he was feeling apprehensive again. Why was he chosen for this escort?...

Pip stood by the door and waited, glancing back at the other disguises Irken with a neutral expression. Zip seemed to be in his own world, looking at the odd decorations in front of the house. Odd little... Things, with arms but no legs and a pointy hat. Then an odd pink alien type thing, with a dead eye. A flag that said <3 Earth.  
It was all very... strange.

“WHO’S THERE?!” A hollering voice behind the door called out.  
Pip stared for a moment before clearing his throat and replying promptly, “We are looking for Frycook Zim.” Pip watched the door.

“Ohhh, Zim.” The voice replies, before beginning to laugh. Pip and Zip looked at the closed door in confusion.

A few moments later, the purple door was pushed open by an odd green mongoose dog. “Haii!” GIR cheered, waving their stubby limbs in greeting.

Pip stared, before entering and holding the door for the higher ranking Irken to enter. Zip stepped inside and GIR promptly slammed the door behind them.

“Are you guys the pizza men?!” GIR grabbed their attention from the odd interior of ZIM’s base, which it clearly was. The wiring hanging from the ceiling made that clear, along with the screen on the wall and the box beneath it.

Pip looked to the door to ensure their safety, then pressed on his PAK and disabled his disguise.  
“SIR, where is.. Zim?” He asked the robot, who stopped rolling around on the ground and pulled off their dog suit, then saluted.  
“He is..” His salute fell and instead their hand went to scratch their head. “I dooon’t know.” GIR smiled. “He wants you though!”

Zip nodded and deactivated his disguise as well, starting towards the next room in the base.

“Where is...” He trailed off as he tried to figure out the layout on his own. The medic was drawing a blank, unsure how Invader bases were set up. Most had an underground department, he knew that much. But... Where was the entrance?

Pip followed after Zip. He knew slightly more. He looked back at GIR, who was currently enjoying some Irken candy. “Where is the elevator to your master’s lab?” Pip asked, staring deeply at the unit, who stared back with nothing resembling intelligence behind their eyes. 

“Oooh. It’s uh, in the toilet! But don’t tell Master I told you.” His voice lowered slightly but had an edge to it, “I’m not supposed to tell you!”

The guard hesitated for a moment before nodding, glancing around. A toilet?...

“Can you show us where?” Zip asked the robotic assistant after noting Pip’s confusion.

The robot hopped off of the couch with a dull “tink”.  
“Ovah here!” He called, running towards a white thing. GIR opened the top and revealed a narrow elevator shaft.

One at a time, then.

Zip sighed and pointed to it, gesturing to Pip to go first. The medic saw him gulp before climbing into it. After a second it descended with him atop it, supposedly taking him to the bowels of the base. The lab. 

—-

It was dark. Pitch black. The change took Zip by surprise, causing him to blink to the harsh contrast. The dull light from the elevator barely illuminated anything.  
Zip stepped out of it, his impending shadow covering any signs of... Anything. Things sparked and creaked within the pitch, but it was still indiscernible sound. 

As he tried to adjust, the door shut behind him and began its ascent. This shut in the coolness of the chamber, creating an odd air lock. Zip let out a shallow breath as he waited, leaning against the wall beside the elevator, feeling frozen in the moment. He needed Pip to be here to begin his search.

The invader was likely unconscious, if this was the state of the lab, and the fact that his presence hadn’t been made known yet.

“UNKNOWN PRESENCE DETECTED IN LAB.” An electronic voice above boomed, sounding almost apathetic.

Zip’s antenna twitched at that. This base had an AI, then?  
“Base AI?” He asked the ceiling, assuming that’s what the wiring was. Something to connect it to the entire base, that is.

“...YES?” It asked. 

“Where is this base’s invader?”

“...Zim is in his main chambers.” The automated voice responded vaguely.

“Where is that?” Zip asked.

“Somewhere.”

Zip scoffed and rubbed the skin between his eyes, already getting a headache from the defective tech. Of course this would be given to Zim.  
“I’m a medic sent from Irk...” Feeling that this wasn’t going anywhere, they shook their head. “Can you, at the very least, turn on the [redacted] lights?” He asked in annoyance.

“...Lights have been DISABLED by defective SIR unit.” The computer reported.

Zip sort of stared helplessly at that point, then shook his head. “Figures...” 

The elevator behind him stopped its idle humming as the door slid open, providing more light into the stagnant lab. Zip glanced at him.  
“The computer won’t turn the lights on. Be careful and help me find Zim.” Zip said, voice lowered a degree. It felt odd to be speaking here- like it was meant to be quiet. It was an odd feeling considering who dwelled here. 

Pip stared with a hardened gaze and nodded, lifting up a shocking spear from his PAK, holding it defensively across his chest.  
“Yes, sir.” Pip said in a quiet voice, not wanting to speak over Zip.

Together the two walked through the lab, being careful as to not bump into any of the technology or inventions.

Zip felt a sense of dread as he explored. After a moment he tapped the top button on his PAK. An artificial metal spike limb came out of it, the end held an odd glass square on the end. Within it was a red X.

Zip positioned it to be over his eye, peering through it.

In front of him lie trails of fluorescent pink goop on the floor.  
Blood. 

He stared at it, antenna pressing against his head in slight distress as he followed along the side of it, the blood being his only guide through the cold lab.


	9. REPAIR

Pip couldn’t tell what Zip was doing, just that he now walked more confidently ahead. Pip blinked and moved faster to keep up. He himself could barely see what lie ahead. The sparks produced idley from his spear produced just enough visibility for him to avoid running into things.   
Tap tap, tap tap. The two’s footsteps were rhythmic. Zip took a turn, Pip took a turn. As they went along, Zip moved faster. It was concerning, if Pip was being honest. 

“Sir?” Pip asked cautiously, his nerves beginning to rile up. Being in the darkness like this brought the Irken no comfort. This wasn’t his job description... It was already bad enough that he was on this planet. So many things could go wrong in the turn of a moment, he wanted to turn back to the ship now. But his charge didn’t seem to have the same ideas.   
“Almost there.” Zip answered after another turn. His steps slowed. 

...Another sound aside from creaking and footsteps greeted them. Something small, further on still. What was it? Pip’s antennae twitched as he tried his best to discern the sound. Where was it coming from?  
Zip heard the sound as well. It sounded... Distant, faint... raspy. He blinked in arm and looked further down the path. The splatters and trails were getting brighter, more concentrated. Was he dragged through here..? It was an unsettling sight. That sound, it had to be breathing. Zim was close.

He took a step around one last twisting corner. Outlined in pink, lying in a puddle of the pink liquid, covered in it, a small Irken lying on the ground, curled up. Zip blinked to the sight and let out a slightly shaky breath. What happened to him..? He stared for another moment. “Wait by the door.” Zip hissed out to Pip, who stiffened and nodded. 

Pip assumed the worst as he quickly went to stand by what he thought was a doorway, holding his spear tightly. Ah, he wished there was more light in here. How could Zip see..? He glanced back in the medic’s direction and all he could see was a glint of red near where he thought the taller Irken’s eyes would be. Some sort of tech that medics had?... From the sounds of it, Zip didn’t like what he was seeing. Pip wished he could see. He stared for a moment, when a spark caught his attention. What the...? Unsure were that alarming blip of light came from, the guard looked away from what he was sure was a fiasco. 

Refrain, refrain... Pip let out a breath, antennae drooping. “Is he okay?” Pip couldn’t help but ask. He had to know. His nerves were getting the best of him.

“...Maybe.. Soon he will be... I just need some light...” Zip glared upwards and grumbled. “AI, please turn on some lights. This Irken will die if I can’t treat him soon.” It was a bit of an exaggeration. But he needed to at least see what was wrong. The amount of blood was alarming, yes, but it could have been a head wound. Those bleed a lot and are often not as lethal as say, getting cut in half or gutted. Which he wouldn’t put past the invader, but Zip still needed to treat them.

“O-oh.. I’ll uh... Wait, then.” Pip said, shoving away his nervousness. The scent of... Blood, though. That’s what made this difficult. Pip looked downwards, closing his eyes for a moment and regaining his composure. He had to guard this door.

“...I guess.” The computer said with a drawl.

A whirl indicated that the base was powering up. At least, the light fixtures were. Zip winced to the sudden lighting, but focused his attention downwards towards the Irken he sought to help.  
The sight was enough to make him woozy. A bent antenna, a gash on top of the Irken’s head, a badly broken arm and a large slash across the Irken’s torso. Some char was present on their outfit as well. The injuries explained the blood at least, there was a head injury indeed. The wound across his stomach didn’t appear to be deep enough to hurt any organs, outside of bruising. Poor Zim.

What was alarming though, was how their PAK looked damaged. Scuff marks, chat, and a dent. Hell, it was even sparking a bit at the seams between pink circles and the cool gray metal. 

Pip looked over to the Irken and gave a small noise of discomfort. He was concerned for the invader, and unused to seeing such grave injuries. 

“Keep guarding the door.” Zip prompted, pulling something from his own PAK and settling beside Zim, who lie on his side with his hands splayed our and legs pulled beside him, resting bust in front of the slash. 

The device Zip had was a standard, run of the mill injector. He put a vial into it and pressed one end against ZIM’s neck, then pressed the trigger.   
Nothing much happened, other than the medicine emptying. Zip watched the Irken for a moment. His breathing settled slowly as the drugs made their way through his system.

Good, now he could focus on the real issue. The PAK. Once that was dealt with, his injuries could be safely treated. Usually he would patch those first, but they weren’t out in a battlefield, and his PAK was the worst state Zip had ever seen... On a living Irken, that is. It didn’t make much sense. Even through normal wear and tear, the piece of tech never got to this level. Even though Irkens were forbidden to tamper with their PAKs, they never got this bad... Zip shuddered.

As a decently high ranking medic, he had clearance to work on these. And he would. Another device was retrieved from the medic’s PAK. It looked odd, one end resembling what humans would call an item scanner.

Zip pressed one button on the top of ZIM’s PAK, opening the compartment and revealing a fray of wiring inside. He pressed the device to a chip.  
Another spark sounded and Zip pulled away, but only for a moment before getting back to work.

Pip just observed the room of the lab. It was only half tidy. Snack ruins lie everywhere across desks and workstations. Tools lie haphazardly on tables and chairs... And the floor was bloodied. Though, he doubted that was just the Irken being sloppy that caused that issue...  
He shuddered at the thought and continued waiting. Waiting for Zip to finish, or give him any orders. 

None came though. None anytime soon, as the medic was quite busy remedying some of these fragile wirings.

Some was beyond repair, but a lot of it wasn’t. This gave him hope as he continued.  
All the while he kept an eye on the injuries the small Irken had. The bleeding was mostly from his head, but even that was sluggish.   
At least his PAK was functional in that regard.

Zip gave a soft sigh as he looked towards another damaged piece. The sparking one, specifically.   
...His memory drive? That seemed... Dangerous to leave damaged.

Zip set to work on that next, the rest of the areas already working to a mediocre level. This would be a quick fix, and then he could heal him fully. Perhaps with an improved memory and processing, the Irken would... Not be as... terrible?... 

Zip shook his head as he carefully put the drive back into the proper position, taking away his tools and closing the compartment, satisfied in his helpfulness and work.


	10. ...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> someone gave me too much cough syrup

Darkness was accompanied by roaring static. The wall seemed higher and higher, without explanation. 

Where? I keep asking, why is Zim asking this? I turn around a corner quickly, almost tripping. But I manage to keep upright, short of breath. I wheezed slightly, pulling in cold air that whipped by as I ran. My smeet?

My smeet? Where is he? Where is my smeet? Little one, where are you? Zim frantically searched the facility, taking turns where he thinks he could have gone. It’s cold, I’m cold. They must be cold. It’s so dark, smeet can’t see well. He is lost, where is he lost? I have to find him. More static blocks me away from my smeet. 

I can hear noises. Not smeet noises, it’s not MY SMEET. Others? They will help Zim find his smeet. Wait, they have a name, right? It’s... what’s his name... He’s small, something small then... Dip? Rip?... “PIP?” Zim called. I need to find him. PIP! His name is... Pip.

THUD. THUD THUD THUD... 

Quick approaching footsteps take my attention. Darkness. There is only darkness, and cold, and sound. Approaching sound. Lots of them, them? There are others here. They don’t want to help. Their spears cling and clang on the ground as they drag them towards me, echoing loudly. So loudly, the sound fills the metallic halls.

I snapped. “WHERE DID YOU PUT HIM?!” My screech tore through the air. I breathed heavily as I fought to keep up my pace. But I had been searching for so long, running for very long. But it wasn’t time to stop. I need... Pip needs me, Zim.

Haze and fuzz fills my mind as I run. But that cannot stop Zim. Zim has a mission.

The small Irken was stopped in his tracks by a shocking spear being thrust into his back, just below his PAK. He yelped and fell onto his face. He turned to face his attacker, crawling backwards. An Irken! They had pinkish-red eyes that stared into my soul. Antenna that stood up rod-straight, claws around an Irken weapon used to subdue prisoners.   
“AAA!” Zim shouted as he rolled to avoid another stab from the spear. I scramble to my feet and run, body still shaking from the lasting effects of the shocking. My PAK hurts, it’s beeping in my mind. It wants me to subdue myself- turn myself into the guard. The PAK commands me, but I... I need to find MY SMEET. Where...?

Blurry shapes fill my vision and I falter. What is it? What’s stopping ZIM NOW?... PIP!!!

ZZT. ZZT. ZZT. Sparks filled the air and I fell. I couldn’t get back up. Zim, Zim being dragged away? “PIP!” He shouted again, voice faltering and desperate. Pip was probably dead, then. Or gone. They had taken him away- Were they taking me to him? Maybe- There was a chance. Zim needed to make sure they were safe- He had made a mistake. He messed it up. Why did he not notice? Notice sooner? He was a danger to all... to Pip.

How could an invader like Zim make a mistake? My boots dragged on the floor as my limp form was pulled through the cold halls. I missed this tunnel then- Maybe he really would find Pip. Zim could apologize greatly to him and give him a Slurpy Slushie. A purple one, Zim’s favorite. 

“Are you taking Zim to his smeet? To Pip?” He asked, looking up at the two guards pulling him along. 

One grunted and the other stayed silent, threatening to nudge Zim with the stabby shocky end of his weapon again. Zim glared at this one. This one didn’t understand- No one understood. This smeet, he had to protect them. He was failing and couldn’t do anything about it-.   
“BRING ME TO HIM AT ONCE!” Zim bellowed once the realization sunk in. He struggled and kicked and fought- But the two Irkens were much too tall for Zim to fight- It wasn’t fair. 

Pip would be short, Zim knew. It wasn’t fair that these tall people could just control them because they were short. Zim seethed at the thought and growled.

This was put to a stop by another zap to his back. Zim held back tears as he cursed at them in their native tongue. 

More blurs appeared. Zim was confused. What was happening?

PAIN. That’s what it was, he decided. His PAK connections stun, his head spun. Zim growled out a pained noise, squirming against his PAK, which was held up and suspending him in the air. Scrambling shocks were pressed into the wiring. Zim’s... Zim felt like HE was made of static, much like the device connected to his PAK. 

In front of Zim, three control brains. What were they saying?  
So fuzzy. So painful. WRETCHED...

His Tallest were there. He could see them. They were fuzzy... They looked disgusted?  
Disgusted in ZIM? It made no logical sense. Something was behind Zim then, I reasoned. Why would the Tallest look at a fellow Irken like that?

...  
Wait, what? Something that the control brains said began fizzling in my mind. Smeet? Stolen?... Yes, yes... The pieces slid together, though they did not want to, tussling around in my amazing ZIM BRAIN!... Fuzzy, sparkly. Smeet.. Stolen, stole a... He...  
Zim... Smeet...

PIP!...

It made sense, Zim thought as the scene began going dark. Someone stole Zim’s smeet, Pip. He was gone now. Zim felt... Rage, building inside of his scrambled emotions, frayed feelings beginning to hurt his PAK more.

The screen in front of him read:

RE-ENCODED: FRY COOK, BANISHMENT: FOOD COURTIA, CRIME: [redacted, a fuzzy blur].

...

Colorful lights danced in Zim’s sight. Hot GREASE stung his skin. Zim gave a grunt of confusion. SOMETHING hit him in the head.

“ZIM! GO CLEAN SOMETHING, STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR IMAGINARY FRIEND!!” Sizzlorr. Zim snarled and picked up what was thrown at him, sight obscured by dark goggles. A mop. Great...

Imaginary friend..? FOOL! Pip was not, imaginary. Pip was... His smeet, of course. Of course he was. That’s who that was... It was...?

Zim stared at the mop in thought before shaking himself and going to clean booth twelve, plotting.. Revenge.   
Though instead of revenge that day, he worked nonstop shifts, day in and day out, managing customers. DAY IN AND DAY OUT! Oh he was so MAD.

After hours, Zim sat on the chair in the breakroom, looking out the window into space. One day, one day, I told myself... Something, would happen. An odd static in my head told me to be quiet though, so I watched TV. 

And I’m still floating.


	11. AWARE

The invader again felt pain, probably a few times too many for him, but who was counting? A gentle pressure was on the inside of his head, making him feel groggy. Zim felt... Off. His eyes felt heavy. HAD SOMEONE DRUGGED THE GREAT AND POWERFUL ZIM?!... Ahh, his head hurt. Thoughts traveled... Oddly? What was this..? This fuzziness. All over.. ZIM!   
The invader forcefully opened his eyes, which only half succeeded. He saw blurry shapes in blurry lights. A small hiss escaped him as he started struggling. His limbs didn’t want to move. Never mind the broken arm, he could fix that. Why did the others not want to respond?

He COULD move, but not as quickly as he wished. It took so much effort- why did he feel so heavy? Zim grumbled and continued trying to sit up. Sounds greeted him but they were muffled and far away. “WHO’S THERE?!” He tried to shout. It wasn’t certain what sounds he made though. His tongue didn’t want to budge and his jaw barely moved, but he could tell whoever was.. Touching Zim backed off. 

His unfocused magenta eyes darted around as he tried to figure it out. He was in his lab, he remembered that... Remembered?... Oh, that’s an improvement. 

It was then noted that while his body hurt, it hurt a whole lot less than before. Progress!... Wait a moment. He pressed on his limbs again and managed to inch away slightly. A new wave of pain and nausea crashed over the Irken and he could feel himself collapse once more. He grunted to the dizzying sensation. More sounds spoke up around him... But now they had feeling and form to them.

“Blehhh..?” Zim asked, only half attempting the question. It was easier now. What was going on?   
His good antenna slunk to his head as he thought long and hard about it. Someone was here- Clearly the reasoning for why Zim felt worse than that time GIR made him eat waffles with human sleep inducers in them. Zim shuddered slightly at the thought and stuck a segment of his tongue out.

“Are you aware now?” A voice finally cut through the haze. Zim opened an eye and flinched slightly at the sight before him. An IRKEN. In his base? Was he at his base? It felt like his base. He focused his sight on them. This Irken was much taller than himself, by around a foot. Their eyes were tired and a purplish red, and half of a coat covered the bottom half of their face. Their antenna lie hanging towards him, and their hands... 

Bandages? Zim blinked and carefully lifted his ‘broken’ arm. Some of the weight was explained now. Bandages! Blasted things, though helpful he supposed. Glancing downwards and he could see that a good portion of his torso was also surrounded in the blasted absorbent cloths, though this one was already beginning to soak in Zim’s GREAT pink blood.

“What is the meaning of this?” Zim asked in a semi-level tone of voice. Mostly because he couldn’t raise his voice too far, with his lack of energy. His antenna twitched slightly as the medic moved away. Zim raised one of his hands and looked at it. The image was slightly doubled, but it was still reassuring.  
“The Massive received a distress signal, so me and Pip were assigned to this-.” Zim interjected, quickly cutting him off as something twitched in his mind. “What did you say? Say it again to ZIM.” He said, voice beginning off normal, but ending with it bordering on frantic.

Used to dealing with troublesome patients, the medic just stared for a moment. “The Massive-.”  
“After that.”

Zip facepalmed and inwardly glared at the pipsqueak invader. “Pip and I were-.”

“THAT! That word..” He let out a breath he was holding, then rubbed at the side of his head and winced. Thinking about it hurt. Why did it HURT?... “What is the meaning...?” 

“...Do you have anywhere around here where you can rest? A pod, perhaps?” Zip asked, looking away from the invader who was beginning to make less and less sense despite the wearing off sedatives. Zim shook his head and began growling, grasping at his antenna and pulling on them with a force that MUST have been painful. The sight made Zip’s head hurt in empathy.   
The medic reached a hand towards Zim cautiously. “Here, you’re alright.” He began, trying to calm him down. What he wasn’t expecting was his hand to be smacked down with quite a force. His eyes darted up to see Zim, who’s own eyes were screwed shut in concentration, one hand in a fist. “WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!” He shouted, breath strained.

“...What do you mean, Zim?”

“WHAT IS A PIP?!” His voice broke slightly and he coughed, a splurt of pink blood falling from between his pink-stained teeth. He retched slightly at that and continued gripping his antenna. 

Zip stayed still, unsure if he wanted to answer him or not. He carefully made ways to grab his tranquilizer again, which was resting nearby in case such a situation arose. He knew that the invader was defective, but he wasn’t aware of the degree of it. 

“TELL ZIM! TELL... Tell ZIM, n-now..” His breathing slowed and he glared at the ground, tears building up in the corners of his eyes. Thoughts were racing through his head like.. WIND THROUGH A SHREDDED PAPER BAG!... It hurt. He couldn’t quite focus on one thought.

The medic Irken grabbed the gun and inched closer to Zim, ready to manhandle him to the ground if need be.

This is when the short guard chose to stop guarding the door and approach. “W-wait..” He began. 

Zim reared his head, opening an eye from his wincing. That, that... Familiar?... How could? What...?  
“I’m Pip.” He said, looking down at the fallen invader with a nervous look embrazzled across his face. Zim’s eyes went wide at this. “Waahhuhh?” How could a Pip be an Irken...? It... 

Argh. He grumbled, rubbing his eyes and letting go of his poor antennae. Static was beginning to pour into his head again. 

Pip carefully, albeit hesitantly, put a hand on Zim’s shoulder. The invader glanced up with a dumbfounded, almost disgusted look.  
“Let’s get you somewhere to rest.. You uh, are sort of bleeding still.” Pip explained and pointed a claw at Zim’s abdomen. Zim looked to where he was pointing, then stayed still for a moment...

This was it, Zip thought, as he prepared for the worst. The erratic invader could do anything at this point...

Zim simply looked up at Pip, eyes shining oddly. “You’re.. You’re Pip..?”


	12. CALM

Zim’s thoughts continued dashing through his frazzled mind. The haziness was lifting away from his mind, but it was all still clouded. Pieces moving and adjusting. His eyes sparkled with realization. Pip... He knew Pip. He didn’t know how, yet, but he knew Pip. His name was so familiar, as was his face and voice.   
“I am Pip.” The short one said. He was shorter before, Zim knew that somehow. But how does one get any shorter...? It wasn’t completely adding up in his mind, but he felt that Pip was... A friend, for sure. Which was odd. A feeling of disgust was still present. Invaders had no ATTACHMENTS!... Then why? And why was Pip giving him an odd look?

As was the tall one. Zim met the tall one’s gaze. Actually, their stare was down to the soaked bandage at their stomach. He stared at the oozing pink blood, mesmerized by it. His aching antennae drooped slightly to the sight. Zim’s fuzzy mind seemed to be distracting him from the pain pressuring his guts. The gash on his head was also stinging, the bandage weighing slightly above his eyes. How had he not noticed it before..? Zim grumbled to it and began to poke at it. Stupid head bandage... It too was pink. Ah well, Pip was here.

“Zim, can you stand up?” Zip asked Zim after watching him... Do whatever he was doing.   
“Of course Zim can stand.” Zim said simply, before pushing himself to his feet quickly, looking triumphant. But it was short lived as he wobbled on unsteady feet. Pip had to take his shoulder and support him. 

“Where can you rest?” Zip asked, picking up his medical supplies. He would likely need to replace these bandages for Zim. Zim grumbled something and half-glared up at Zip as his feet dragged. “I don’t need a rest, DON’T TOUCH ME!” The invader hissed and swiped a claw towards Zip, who took a step back and sighed.

Zim growled softly, glaring downwards as more blood trickled from between his teeth. “Uh, Zim. Do you have a sleeping chamber?” Pip asked Zim once his attention was off of the tired medic. The Irken looked at Pip with a narrowed glance, before nodding. “Ith down the hall.” He said, not bothering to put his tongue back in his mouth. Tiredness was beginning to weigh on his shoulders, and the pain in his belly seemed to ebb if he was quiet. So then he would be!.. For now. Bwa.

Pip began trying to walk him down the hall, resulting in the Invader hissing out some curses in their tongue, clenching their eyes closed tightly. “Blasted.. URGH...” He winced in pain, antennae slicking to his head in distress.   
“Sorry.” The guard apologized, before attempting again, but slower and more careful. There didn’t seem to be much of a difference for the pain level of the Irken, but he could at least drag his feet in a semi-contributing way. Zip followed behind as the two slowly but surely made their way to Zim’s secret sleeping chamber. It wasn’t much of a secret, really. It was just an unmarked door in the hallway.

The weak Irken simply pointed a shaking claw at the door and Pip let them both inside. 

In the room lie an odd assortment of things. A workbench in one corner with an unopened Licky Stick, some blueprints with scribbled schematics and plots, notebooks with more ideas, a computer that was turned off, and empty slushy cups thrown haphazardly on the floor. 

The sleeping chamber itself was a missing rectangle in the wall, a plain white sleeping mat covering the floor of it. The back wall had a dim computer screen and the ceiling above it contained compartments for Snacks and bedding as well as a PAK diagnostics tool (used to scan for issues, which would be taken to a medic such as Zip). The front of it slid closed for privacy, or to create a sense of safety for paranoid Irkens (Zim).  
Irkens seldom needed sleep, unless their work dealt in dealing with others (medics), or their PAKs were defective (Zim). Though it didn’t mean it wasn’t completely unneeded. Unruly Irkens found that after a snooze they were feeling their old selves again and would be ready to continue serving the empire. 

Zim’s looked like it hadn’t been touched in a long time. Which was surprising, considering that Zim was defective.   
Zip may have repaired some things, but some issues he could not touch, or had the knowledge to even help with.

Zim was lain in the sleeping chamber, which was just tall enough for Zip to sit in without bumping his head (though his antenna did brush against the ceiling of it uncomfortably, he remedied this by slicking them against his head and not moving them. The medic found it easier to work with the tired out Irken, quickly replacing the bandage on his head. 

The one around his abdomen took a bit more work. He had to MOVE Zim for this, which he did not like. Pip stood by and watched the door, as he was trained to do. Though he did seem concerned about Zim.  
...Zip felt confused by the end of this all. Zim was asleep, a blanket placed evenly over him by Zip. Pip was acting odd, and the entire interaction earlier had left the medic in a daze. He needed another slushy. 

The medic sighed and went to leave Zim’s quarters for a break.

Pip followed after him, but stuck by the door to Zim’s room. “Uh, Zip?... I can explain, if you want. You seem confused.” He said matter-of-factly. Zip glanced to him. “...That would be nice.” He agreed, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

“Well.. You see...” He began.


	13. If you say so.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. Too many projects does this to you.
> 
> Posting this little update!!! As a treat! I’ll figure out what to do from here probably since it’s so relaxing to write this fic :)!

“A lot of stuff happened when I was a smeet.” Pip began, poking his hands together and sighing softly. “A can’t remember a lot of it, but I know the details from the reports.” He looked a bit distressed, beads of sweat forming on the side of his face.  
He fidgeted and wiped it away, seeming to think about it. 

Zip shifted and adjusted his arms, leaning a bit further into the weight of the wall and sighing. His antennae twitched to the tone of Pip’s voice. His distress was... Well, it made his squeedily spooch do summersaults.  
Ah how he wished his break had lasted even a few minutes longer.

“Apparently Zim... Well, I think he’s defective but...” He appeared slightly uncomfortable at this detail.  
"Uh, he... Thinks I’m his smeet? I know he’s delusional. It’s.” The guard trailed off, rubbing his arm and sighing softly.   
“He took me. I don’t know why he thought I was his... buthegotinbigtroubleforit-” Pip let out a breath, his quick little words leaving him momentarily out of breath. 

“Ah, it was you then.” Zip said plainly after a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets. He and many others among the elites and medical staff knew about that. The details were vague and names weren’t given, other than Zim. Zim was known as a ‘smeet thief’. The only ever, actually. It was horrific. The smeets were placed under tighter security after that incident thanks to the defective.  
And Zim was banished to Foodcourtia supposedly. The idea of it, a very powerful and chaotic, awful, defective ZIM, being a frycook. Cleaning tables, frying food, dealing with rowdy customers. All so amusing...  
But right now he did not find it nearly as amusing. Here was the Irken that resulted of Zim’s horrific actions. 

Zip could feel a snarl build in his throat but he suppressed it. He had to be professional, even if he was having second thoughts about this all. They should not have been sent. Pip should not have been sent and forced to relive what must have been horrible memories of immoral treatment from the deranged ‘invader’.  
“...We can leave now, then.” He suggested, having Pip’s wellbeing more in mind than Zim, who he had just patched up.  
Disgust. That was the emotion Zip was feeling, along with a building frustration and anger. 

“No, no. It’s okay...” He glanced back towards Zim’s room door, then looked up at Zip. “I-I don’t think I can leave him.. Not like this an-and not after what I told him...” His antennae flattened against the top of his head, his claws fidgeting with his guard’s uniform. 

Zip stared blankly before giving a curt sigh and rubbing his head.  
He... Wouldn't question the guard about it, but he couldn’t comprehend it. Wanting to stay here with him... for any amount of time longer than necessary. 

...Zip knew that Zim was a troublemaker. Someone to be avoided, someone marked for death on sight by the empire. But this.. This was just a smeet, who he had clearly made... Not good...

Pip watched him with widened eyes, taking in his reaction and trying to figure out what to do...  
He did not want to just, up and leave after...  
Pip wasn’t sure how he felt about it, not really, no. 

He felt obligated to try and help him understand...  
But his duty!... Conflicted, the guard made eye contact with the head medic. “I... Uhm, if you have anything else you need to do to help him... W-we can leave whenever you want.” Pip said, tone oddly defeated now.

Zip blinked, lowering his crossed arms and pressing out a sigh through his teeth.   
His gaze flicked to the door in the hallway. The one that would lead to the defective...

The taller shook his head and waved dismissively. “Go ahead and talk to him. But I don’t have enough supplies to treat you if... he mauls you.” Zip said. It was mostly a joke. The defective wasn’t... Quite as beastly as the Tallests has suggested. 

Pip shot him an annoyed look before his own, shorter arms crossed.  
“I’m going to...Talk to him...” If possible, his antennae slunk lower.

...It was a joke, Zip thought. Of course he had enough medical supplies. He had plenty, enough to treat an entire battalion of injured soldiers if need be.  
Zip watched with flicking antenna as Pip went to the door and slowly pressed his way inside.


End file.
